TagAlong: Confessions of a Rat
by twistyties432
Summary: Follow's Peter's life from his first year at Hogwarts to about nine months after Harry's birth.  All the times Peter was a tag-along, and a few times he wasn't. Nothing happens that would affect what happens in the HP books it might seem like it at first.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

Name: Peter Pettigrew

Occupation: Umm...AUROR! Hahaha got you mate...for a second there...I'm sure I did! Maybe...

Age: Twenty-one minus ten. It's okay Sirius you can have Remus do the math for you.

Year in School: Well, you obviously know I don't have an occupation then don't you? I'm a first year.

House: You crazy nutter! GRYFFINDOR!

Favorite Color: Gold

Anything else we should know? Nothing you don't already know. Let's see here. Short (I'll grow!), inhumanely skinny (except compared to Remus around the time he goes and visits his mum), and my mum says I tend to have a smart mouth which I could grow out of. I'm also a bit slow. I'll try and keep up!

It was 11 O'Clock in December at Hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry. Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and James Potter were all hastily scribbling down words onto a piece of parchment that had been written by another student in the Gryffindor house who was also a first year, Frank Longbottom. Sirius was going to read over the answers and then all four of them were going to officially become marauders. Frank was going to be one until he friend Alice was told that since she was a girl she couldn't be part of it. After that, Alice had forbid Frank to have any part of the group.

The Marauder name came from overhearing themselves being talked about by the crackpot old teachers. "Those kids are marauders, they sure will be trouble." It had stuck almost immediately and every single one of them loved it.

They all handed in their pieces of parchment one at a time until everyones had made its way to Sirius. Peter's got in their last. He had had a bit of trouble deciding what his favorite color was. It wasn't that he was indecisive as everyone thought, he was actually rather opinionated, it was just that before coming to Hogwarts his favorite color had been green. Then, slytherin was green and the ever present Gryffindor mantra was 'must hate slytherin' so green was just not an option. So that was why Peter decided to choose gold, he was after all, Gryffindor through and through.

So Peter handed in his parchment last after he was sure everything was filled in to his liking, being content just tagging along behind.

**oooooooooooooooo**

The next year did not get better as they had hoped. It was still filled with adventures, except now more often in groups of four instead of five. Frank, although often dragged along into Sirius' hair brained schemes, had taken to spending his time with Alice Prewitt, Mary MacDonald, Marlene Mckinnon, and Lily Evans so he wasn't around the Marauders' as much.

Another change had recently rocked the Marauder world, one of their own had revealed themselves to be a werewolf. Actually, truth be told, he had been forced into revealing it. Sirius was the one who initially noticed the strange behavior, and they all worked together to find out what had been going on.

Peter was initially very happy about this revelation. He was so glad they could know what was wrong with Remus and maybe help him. He could barely contain his joy. When they had confronted Remus about it he hadn't been as immediately reassured as Peter thought he would be though.

FLASHBACK

_ "Remus, we know you're not visiting your mother once a month, and that she isn't really sick," James had said putting a consoling hand on Remus' shoulder._

_ Remus shuddered a bit at the touch thinking he was being_ _scolded for lying. They all knew how much James hated liars. "So you know I'm a werewolf then? You know I'm a...a...monster." Remus was then crying into his hands, and James flinched away in shock, but Remus mistook it for disgust and cried harder._

_ "A..a monster..." Peter had stuttered out in shock. He would _never_ think Remus to be a monster. Not sweet, innocent studious Remus. Sirius didn't see it that way, he thought Peter was disgusted._

_ "DON'T YOU EVER SAY THOSE THINGS ABOUT REMUS!" Sirius had yelled shoving Peter hard into the wall. Peter was reduced to a whimpering ball of tiny twelve year old boy._

_ "I'm fine with it! I..I d-don't have a p-pro-problem with it!" Peter had stuttered out scared out of his mind that he would be shoved into the wall again by his friend. He in no way was just agreeing so they all could get along, he just didn't want to get pushed around anymore._

END FLASHBACK

And so it seemed to everyone that Peter only made that decision because Sirius made him. They were all wary of what they said about Remus around Peter for fear he would be horribly scared, and Remus would be upset again. So everyone just assumed that Peter only excepted Remus because it was a tag-along decision, even though Peter had been the most excepting to begin with.

**ooooooooooooooo**

Third year was a wonderful year for the marauder boys. They all turned fourteen mid-year and went on their first hogsmeade trips. They all grabbed the first bird they found (except James who was yelled at by the first bird he found and then made it his goal to pursue her, if only because she was the first person to ever tell him no) and draped said bird over their arm and dragged her to hogsmeade.

Sirius took Marlene, Remus took Lily on accident in an attempt to pull her away from James, Frank took Alice, James begrudgingly took Mary MacDonald, and Peter was stuck with Sirius' cousin Narcissa Black, who was not only a Slytherin, but also the most snobby annoying girl in that Peter had ever had the misfortune of meeting. The others, however, had said he _needed _a date and she was the only girl left.

Sirius, although he had been the main person forcing Peter to take a date 'It would embarrass us if you didn't Petey', was very upset about Peter's choice of date. Sirius hated most of his family except for his cousin Andromeda, his uncle Alfred, and his cousin Narcissa, because although she was horribly annoying she had saved him from the wrath of his cousin Bellatrix, and his mother and father Walburga and Orion, more times than Sirius could count. As it was he was a bit protective of her (if only because when she wasn't there he was clobbered so he _needed _her to be there) and also of Peter who he didn't want mixing with such "bad blood" as that of a Black.

However, when Sirius finally made his opinion known, quite loudly, it was too late. Peter couldn't take back his invitation for that would be rude. So, that is how it finally ended up.

Unfortunately for Peter, even in making his own decision, he was still just doing as he was told and just following along behind his other friends. Without them making him he would have waited until the next Hogsmeade weekend and picked a different girl sooner, but Peter couldn't be left out not even once. Peter was just a tag-along again.

**oooooooooooooo**

Fourth year brought about new revelations for the boys, all of them girl related. Frank realized he wanted Alice to not only be his best friend, but his girlfriend as well. Remus realized he couldn't date, because he feared any girl would break up with him if they found out his condition and that could be too heartbreaking. Sirius realized that he would rather go on dates with girls than form "sirius" relationships. James figured out that he wasn't just chasing Lily for the thrill of the chase, but because he had feelings for her (which was perhaps an unfortunate decision as she absolutely loathed him). Last but not least, and perhaps the most important to this story, was Peter's decision. Peter decided that Narcissa wasn't so bad after all.

When he had first told all of his friends this they had been confused with Peter. Peter thought they didn't accept him which made him angry. Then, eventually they all gave in and accepted that Peter would date who Peter would date and they would support him in it.

The next day Peter had approached her, "I've decided that I like you, what do you say about that?" Narcissa had looked at him at first with the trademark Black grey eyes and quirked one eyebrow. Eventually she smiled.

"I guess that means you're my boyfriend then." Narcissa linked her hand with Peter's and smiled up at him. She made Peter feel special, and even with her quick purposeful strides, he never felt like he was tagging along.

**oooooooooooooo**

Fifth year brought with it some very important changes. All of the boys had finally come up with an idea to help Remus a while back and had finally been successful this year.

Now all the boys would go to the shrieking shack every full moon with Remus and transfigure into different animals. James a large elegant stag, Sirius a big black dog, and Peter a tiny useless rat.

Each of them had different nicknames now. Remus had always been Moony to them, the nickname had come quickly after they had figured out the secret. The other nicknames had come gradually.

The first one that came was James. James had been laughing the day before they had all successfully transfigured. He had big antlers sticking out of his head, but other than that he was still human.

"They're like big fork prongs!" James had held up his hands as claws and run towards Peter head bowed. "I'm going to get you with my prongs Peter! You are going to be punctured!"

All of them had laughed for ages and started calling him "the puncturing man-stag," but had later decided that sounded a little gross and Prongs had been officially picked out.

The next had been Sirius who had looked up at breakfast one day and simply stated, "I'll be called Padfoot, as I have pads on my feet." Then, he had stuffed his face back in his plate and continued to enjoy his meal.

Peter's nickname was a bit trickier. Peter had been sulking and Remus had come over to console him. It was one week before the second full moon since they became animagi. "What's wrong Peter?" Remus had asked.

"I can't help you. My animagus is useless. Its almost as useless as a worm, wait who am I kidding! I am just as useless as a worm!" Peter had then sighed in a dejected sort of way and stared down at his tiny knees.

Remus smiled softly, "You're not useless Peter." Peter looked up at him with a look on his face that said 'come on get real, we both know it is' which is strange because faces can't normally say that much, but Remus always just gets it. Remus just laughed. "Okay," He raised his hand up in defeat and Peter prepared to get told he was useless just as he expected, but Remus shocked him. "Maybe your tail is a little useless. And it looks like a worm! But Padfoot's tail is useless too so you two are just going to have to get used to it, aren't you? Thats it you've just got a wormtail and that is the only thing wormy about you." Then, that nickname had sort of stuck.

One bad thing had definitely come out of all of this though. Something had to be pointed out, and if not by your narrator who would tell you? Peter's little rat form was never fast enough to keep up with the others. So on the nights of the full moon Peter could only barely keep up, and so every full moon he had to just tag-along.

**ooooooooooooo**

Sixth year was the first really huge marauder fight. They all split up and tried to be friends with Frank and just Frank. Frank was a bit overwhelmed and only tried to get them to make up the whole time this was going on constantly bringing them up with each other.

It all started with a particularly nasty fight Sirius had gotten into with Severus Snape because of his hot temper. He had let slip where Remus goes to transform and Snape would have died if James hadn't found out last minute and saved him.

That was how Sirius split off from the group. The next problem was about a month later when James was so upset with Remus for not just bringing them back together, and mad at Sirius for starting it all in the first place, that he just gave up on all of them all together.

Peter had tried to stay friends with them all, but he was just so flustered with all of them for making him split his time and not just making them all friends again that he gave up for the time being and started spending more and more time with Narcissa.

Narcissa did the first thing that ever made her live up to the Black family name that year as well. She went from the nice blonde Slytherin that the marauders had eventually grown to love, to a nice blonde Slytherin that really let the slytherin flag fly.

One day when they were relaxing out on the grounds (because they had long since given up going to each others common rooms) Narcissa started saying slightly shocking things to Peter. "Peter, my family is starting to talk about our relationship. They approve of the fact you're a pure blood of course, but they think you're going to make your move soon. By which I mean, you do plan on becoming a death eater don't you?"

Peter looked at her in shock, "What do you mean a death eater? A follower of Voldemort?"

Narcissa raised a plucked eyebrow at him, "Of course. We've been dating for two years and my parents think its time for you to get your dark mark. All the respectable Slytherins have done it. Why wouldn't you do it? Are you scared Pete? I thought you were supposed to be a brave Gryffindor?" Narcissa grabbed his hand and looked at him with big grey puppy dog eyes. "For me Peter?"

Peter gulped and shook his head. Sirius was right, bad blood. He shouldn't have associated with her. He wouldn't associate with her. He was going to make his own decision for once and get away from her while he could, but he had been with her for so long and it was all he knew. He couldn't stop himself from what came out of his mouth next, "Just please don't talk to me about this now Cissy. We can talk about it some other time just not now. I have to much going on right now to deal with this."

He had tried so hard not to follow her will, and he hoped that for this request at least, he would not tag-along. He hated the dark arts with such a strong passion. He would never switch over. He just couldn't do it.

**oooooooooooooo**

Their seventh year was the most bizarre for every single one of them. Sirius pulled off some weird plan that ended in James and Lily dating and Frank and Alice's engagement and Remus ended up enjoying chocolate chip pancakes every morning after his transfigurations and no one was really sure why.

At the end of the year James and Lily were happy and in love and were planning a summer wedding. They were so excited and Peter was asked to be a groomsmen. He had originally been asked by Sirius to be a ring bearer since he was so skinny and short and could pass as the adorable young nephew or cousin, but Peter assumed he had been only joking.

Peter never proposed to Narcissa because of this whole dark arts business that he was terribly afraid of and definitely didn't want to marry into, but he never even thought about breaking up with her.

Together the eight of them planned their summers and the rest of their lives. They were all going to graduate and go to their respective jobs. James and Sirius would be aurors, Remus assumed he would move from job to job, Lily and Alice were going to be healers at St. Mungo's, Narcissa was going to wait for marriage (she hoped to marry into a rich family) and then come what may, and Peter had been offered a promising job at the ministry.

Peter bought his own apartment that he was going to move into after school. It was a wonderful year that ended much to quickly and then they were shoved into the real world.

Peter would get his own apartment and an original job, and he hoped he was no longer just a tag-along. He was making his own decision and he could do what he wanted.

**ooooooooooooooo**

It was after both of the weddings when Lily and Alice were both identically sixth months pregnant that Peter was confronted by Narcissa once again.

"Peter! Pete! I have news!" She yelled stumbling into Peter's house and sliding across the floor then catching herself on the counter pulling her hair back into a pony tail and looking him in the face. Her eyes were wild with fear and bewilderment.

"Pete, I need you to do something for me. My family is going to burn me off the family tree if you don't become a death eater! Please Peter you don't even have to serve Voldemort or ever see him I won't make you just get a dark mark!" She started crying, hot tears dripping down her face.

Peter reached out and wrapped his arms around her frail shoulders, "It's okay Cissy, shhhhh, calm down." He rubbed her shoulder with one of his hands.

"Please Peter, please do this for me, please." She looked at him with eyes that could make her do anything.

"Okay, I'll do it." Peter said in a dejected voice. He didn't want to, but he loved her and he couldn't see her like this.

Narcissa threw her arms around his neck and continued crying, but in joy now. "Oh thank you Peter! I have to go to London to visit my family and tell them of all of this! I will come to you as soon as I get back and I will be writing letters." She then ran out of the house and smiled happily at him again, kissed him on the cheek, and ran out the door of the house.

As she left Peter felt a weight settle in his stomach. He had never been more upset. Then, something struck him. He wouldn't just be a tag-along to his best mates in the whole world anymore, he would be a tag-along to the darkest wizard of all time, and for what? Because his girlfriend told him to. He was completely ashamed in himself.

**ooooooooooooo **

It was exactly a year later that Peter discovered the worst news that anyone could ever throw at him. It was the most horrifying thing and it was all his fault.

Narcissa was still in London with her family and was expected to be coming back soon. She sent Peter letter after letter about his dark mark. He finally did it. He went and you-know-who branded him. It was awful, painful, and left an ugly snake on his arm. Narcissa told him it was brave things like that that had him sorted into Gryffindor house. It made him feel so special.

Two things had rocked the world of the eight friends recently. James and Lily were the targets of you-know-who because of a prophecy and had made Peter their secret keeper to keep them safe. He had tried to persuade them to use someone else, not wanting to hurt them with his double alliances, but they assured him that they trusted him and he was the best for them.

The second thing happened to Alice and Frank. They were tortured into insanity and their small son Neville was left to his grandmother. The group had been rocked, but had managed to survive.

None of this was the worst news that had been thrown at Peter though. The worst thing thrown at him came from Narcissa. She had somehow persuaded Peter to spill where James and Lily were to her, and made her a partial secret keeper through doing that. He thought he could trust her and she said that if he kept things from her she would leave him and he couldn't let that happen. He loved her.

Peter soon after that got a letter from Narcissa in the mail:

Dear Peter,

I showed the last letter you gave me to the Dark Lord. He plans on attacking James and Lily. I'm so, so sorry. I was tortured and I'm not strong. I'm not a Gryffindor like you. I am so sorry. I can hardly believe I've done this.

After I did this I decided I should tell you I'm no good for you. You are too good for me. After I discovered that I found a husband for myself so I wouldn't bother you anymore. I hope you have a better life now.

I am now Narcissa Malfoy. I am married to Lucius Malfoy. We were married around two months after we came here, I had been seeing him for a while.

We have a son. His name is Draco. I'm sorry Peter. I just couldn't make a family with you. You were too good for me. I'm sorry. I hope to see you again someday.

Love,

Narcissa

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Peter screamed. He teared up the letter and threw it in the fire. Narcissa had been working against them all along.

"NOOOOOO!" He cried out and he punched the wall. He had betrayed his friends and now they would die. They were the only people who had ever cared about him and he had signed their death certificate. He had done this to them.

And what about poor Harry? Did Narcissa even have a heart? How could Peter have loved her? How could he have ever been with her? He couldn't believe himself.

He wanted so badly to run to James and Lily right now. He wanted to cry and apologize and have them all help him get out of this right now. He wanted his friends to live. He wanted to share the apartment all of his friends had offered him to live in. He wanted so badly just to be tag-along Peter again, with friends who wouldn't move away from him for someone richer.

He wanted to go back to his third year and listen to Sirius who had his best interests at heart. He wanted to go back to his fifth year and listen to Remus when he said that he wasn't useless. He wanted to go back to his sixth year and trust himself when he turned Narcissa down. He was disgusted with himself.

He knew though that he couldn't reveal himself to James and Lily. All of his friends would hate him and they would know their was no hope for them. He couldn't be selfish trying to get himself out of this bad mess he had to make sure James and Lily and their little son Harry had the best last few months of their life, and he couldn't ruin it for them by trying to get them to save him from his awful future.

He couldn't even try and see them anymore. He has to try and keep himself aloof, because he can't live with himself knowing what he has done. He knows he will have to live the rest of his life in pain and suffer, but he knows he deserves it. He deserves for what he has done to the people who have shown more love to him than anyone else ever has in his entire life.

**Review and tell me if this makes any sense at all, because I know at times I might have rambled and it makes me sad that this isn't as happy as my other stories. However, I'm making a story about all four of the marauders individually and Peter's needed to be less happy than the others the poor tag-along.**


End file.
